Jayce
They are 20 and 21 years old, making them one of the youngest women’s doubles pairs to reach the Olympic finals. Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning have been on the international stage for less than two years and are just one step away from a fairy-tale gold medal.
They will face a pair striving to etch their names in the annals of the sport — four-time World Champions and Olympic silver medalists Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan.
Despite their youth — or perhaps because of it — Liu and Tan showed no nerves on the biggest stage of their lives. They defeated second seeds Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na in straight games in the quarterfinals and displayed great composure today against third seeds Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama. The biggest test came late in the second game when Shida and Matsuyama threatened to take the match to a decider. Liu and Tan remained clear-headed and steady-handed, ultimately defeating the Japanese pair to earn a historic gold medal.
“We remind each other not to dwell on a lost point. We can do better on the next one. Then we discuss our strategy for the next game,” said Liu Shengshu.
“It’s incredible now, even more so because we can enter the finals with our teammates.”
In the other semifinal, Pearly Tan and Tina Muralitharan challenged world number ones Chen Meng and Jia Zhangke; the Malaysian pair persisted until the end. For Chen Meng and Jia Zhangke, reaching the final is a chance for redemption after their loss in the Tokyo Olympics final. They become the first women’s doubles pair to reach consecutive finals since Ge Fei and Gu Jun. Another women’s doubles predecessor, Yang Wei, also reached consecutive finals but with different partners.
“I think today’s match was very exciting and extremely tough,” said Jia Yifan. “We knew they would give their all, and we indeed faced many challenges. However, we trust each other without a doubt. No matter the score, we believe that under each other’s guidance, we can win the match.”
“Tomorrow’s match is truly the last one, and it feels a bit exciting, like we are taking different paths (joking). We just want to cherish this moment, focus on the next match, and help each other fulfill our dreams.”
